This month, I share with you the best job search strategies for people unemployed for 6 months...or longer.

This unemployed help advice is especially useful for job seekers late in their careers.

Many people who have lost their jobs eventually arrive at a point where they simply do not know what more to do to find a stinking job.

When your job search literally hits a brick wall, it's extremely discouraging. Discouragement often turns to depression, then to fear, and finally panic sets in.

Nothing seems to make sense anymore. You question everything, and doubt yourself at every turn.

Your mind creates images of the worst possible outcomes: never working again, living with relatives, homelessness, bankruptcy, and a few even contemplate suicide.

But...it's often at this low point in your life, that the tide finally comes in.

I can't explain it, but there is an unwritten law of nature that requires everyone to experience a major setback in their lives before climbing to higher ground.

It's as if your current way of things finally exhausts itself, and something new and better grows in its place.

Simply put, pain moves you in a direction you wouldn't otherwise consider.

So, when everything seems to be falling apart, and nothing seems to be going right for you, it is always a positive sign that something very good is about to happen.

But it's up to you to just keep putting one foot in front of the other each day. As Woody Allen once said, Eighty percent of success is just showing up. Nature will take of the rest.

My topic this month could be the spark you need to end your job drought.

1. I recently published a site map on my website. It lists in alphabetical order all the topics on my website. It makes navigating my site much easier for those who return often to my site for information. To access my site map, go to the top of the Nav Bar on the left side of any web page.
2. I've published a book to help frustrated job seekers entitled, Why Don't They Call Me?-Job Search Wisdom to Get you Unstuck. The link takes you out to the book's introductory chapter and table of contents, along with ordering options.
3. Are you following my daily Job Interview Blog?

Happy Hunting...and keep smiling!

Mike Petras

Ending Long Term Unemployment

There is only so much a free newsletter like this can deliver on a broad subject like job hunting or employment.

My goal is to share with you an idea or concept that perhaps you already know works, but for some reason, you don't do it.

Sometimes we just need a reminder, pep talk, push, or even an abrupt shove to get us back on track.

When we are confused, discouraged, depressed, or simply pissed off in general, we tend to stray from proven fundamentals that work.

We say to ourselves, I already tried that...and it doesn't work!

So, we keep doing the same things over and over again with the same results...zilch.

Here is a checklist of 5 high impact things you can do to maximize your chances of getting a job interview:

1. Each day (Mon - Fri), call at least 10 people you know and network with them. If you have call reluctance, like most of us, these calls are warmer because you know these people. Calling 10 acquaintances a day adds up to 200 people a month. Tell your contacts...point blank...that you are struggling to find a job and would appreciate anything they could do to help you. Make sure you ask them the following questions:
   • Is there any hiring going on in their company in your field?
   • Are they aware of any hiring outside of their company in your field?
   • Have they been contacted by any recruiters about job opportunities?
   • Do they know anyone you can network with who may be able to open a door for you or refer you to someone else?
   • Do they have any advice for you?

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Pearl of Wisdom: The reason you ask people these questions is because it helps jog their memory. Most people want to help, but may not recall things quickly, especially if their mind is on their work when you call. Always try to get at least one referral of someone who may be able to help you, even if it's only to network with them. Why? Because you will double or triple your list of contacts. For every 10 people you know, you really are connected to 20-30 people. Studies have shown conclusively that these 2nd and 3rd tier referrals are just as willing to help you as one of your friends, former co-workers, or acquaintances. The reason for this is because when you use someone's name, it immediately builds trust and people drop their defenses. This is powerful. Put this to work for you on a daily basis. For more ideas on networking effectively, see my January Newsletter.

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True Story: I knew a 59 year old engineering manager who struggled for months to find a job with no results. He had a stellar background, wonderful personality, and ethics beyond reproach. The real reason he was only getting a handful of interviews was because most companies wanted to hire a younger person. Yes...flat out age discrimination. Even so, Mel methodically networked each day with past associates or referrals they provided.

One day one of these contacts referred him to an executive recruiter who just happened to be searching for an engineering manager. The recruiter submitted his resume to his client company, but it was rejected for flimsy reasons...hmmm...too old? The recruiter pressed the company to interview this candidate because Mel lived local, and more importantly, met all of their hiring requirements. The recruiter also took the liberty to call one of Mel's references...who provided a glowing report even his mom would have been proud of.

He submitted this reference in writing to his client company, and simply asked them why they would reject someone like this? The company hemmed and hawed, but agreed to interview Mel.

Despite fierce competition from younger candidates, Mel was offered the job. Moral of the story...sometimes we need an advocate to remove barriers for us. This advocate could be a friend of a friend. So, make those calls.

2. Use Indeed.com to search for on-line job postings. This free website spiders all the major job boards, and many niche boards you've never heard of before...and then organizes job openings into one neat list. It saves you a ton of time as you don't need to search each and every website. You can also refine these results through other search parameters. I devoted my February Newsletter to the benefits of using Indeed.

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Caution: Responding to job postings on Monster, CareerBuilder, Hot Jobs, or other job boards is one of the worst ways to find a job. Most job seekers report disappointing results, and studies have shown you have less than a 10% chance of landing a job this way. This is why you don't want to use this method as the only way to find a job.

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3. Do something risky every day. Try making 5 cold calls a day (25 a week, 100 a month) to companies in your field...regardless of whether or not they have a job opening in your field. If this scares you at first, start off taking baby steps...1 cold call a day for the 1st week. At the end of my December Newsletter I provide a step-by-step approach to making effective cold calls.
4. Create a polished, professional profile on LinkedIn. Most people use less than 30% of this very powerful networking tool. LinkedIn is 10 times more effective than all of the major job boards. It is growing by leaps and bounds with new features continually being added, including numerous groups you can join for free. Take LinkedIn's interactive webinar training to learn how to use LinkedIn to its fullest potential. To land on LI's training page, go the home page, click on MORE at the top of the page to reveal the drop down menu. Click on LEARNING CENTER; then, near the top of the left hand nav bar, click on TRAINING RESOURCES. Once there you have to request a reservation to attend their 60-90 minute live training session. It's free and very worthwhile; however, another excellent resource is the book, I'm On LinkedIn - Now What???, by Jason Alba. Jason is an expert on LinkedIn and leaves no stone unturned in helping job seekers stand out to prospective employers.
5. Avoid doing the following: shotgunning resumes to anybody and everybody in your community, resume blasters, constantly calling recruiters or managers asking them if they have anything, sending your resume multiple times to the same company, only applying to jobs on line.

See you on my daily blog!

Mike Petras
job-interview-wisdom.com

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